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Comments from “Plugged-In” Readers

Way across the Bay here in Oakland’s Dimond District, a demolition permit has been filed for the old Blockbuster on MacArthur at Fruitvale. Unfortunately, no plans for a new structure as far as I can ascertain, just a tear-down without replacement.

Amusingly, the parcel I mentioned in Oakland (2114 MacArthur) is zoned for 45′ in height, and Oakland has an operational density bonus that boost that to 65′. And in a quiet, pleasant residential neighborhood with two full service grocery stores a block away, and the NL Transbay bus. Unfortunately, Oakland projects struggle with financing.

Hey, at least demolition is a start. Here in Fruitvale / Dimond we take what we can get. Damn good reason investors are leery of Oakland, the lower half has the same beautiful climate as the upper half but the culture is violent and untrustworthy, at least by educated middle class standards.

I’d never have invested here, personally, if I had any other choice in the bay area — but I was priced out, like a few tens of thousands of others and so it goes.

Oh, I’m just reminding people of the CURRENT zoning. Certainly it could change, thru legislation.
But I would also expect a good deal of resist by the neighbors and neighborhood groups. This is NOT an area conducive to 8- 10 story buildings, like it or not.

nothing on this block (besides the warehouse) seems ripe for demo and redevelopment, so 4 stories seems perfectly and easily build-able mid-block here. i might have pushed for five or six.

overall the area needs to push over 6 stories, but i think keeping duboce triangle interior streets a bit lower scale and the bigger stuff on the safeway site, church street, market street, duboce ave, is a good trade off for neighborhood grain.

if there was controversy, then perhaps do a large project combining this site, blockbuster, the warehouse, max out plus some on the church street side and do lower scale townhomes/flats on the belcher side. zero driveways on church st.